Pope Francis' Historic U.S. Visit in Pictures

Pope Francis concluded a historic visit to the U.S. on Sunday night, leaving Philadelphia to return to Rome. 

It was a busy trip for the Pope, who, in the course of six days, visited three U.S. cities - Washington D.C., New York and Philadelphia - and attended several events. U.S. President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and their families were on the tarmac to greet him on Tuesday, September 22 when he arrived at Joint Base Andrews in D.C. 

The following day, the Pope was welcomed at the White House and gave a speech on the South Lawn, during which he addressed the issue of climate change and expressed his approval for Obama's initiative for reducing air pollution. He then met personally with the U.S. president in the Oval Office.

On Sept. 24, Francis became the first pope to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, which he urged to work together "for the common good", citing such important American figures as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. He spoke for about an hour about immigration, capitalism, poverty and climate change.  

Arriving in New York in the late afternoon of the 24th, he held mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. The following day, he addressed the United Nations General Assembly and visited the Ground Zero memorial to pray with the families of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He visited children and immigrant families in East Harlem. It is estimated that 80,000 people gathered in Central Park to greet him on his way to mass at Madison Square Garden.

In Philadelphia, Pope Francis held mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, drawing an estimated one million people. He also met with victims of clerical sex abuse.

Below is a recap of Pope Francis' historic visit to the U.S. - in pictures.